Lost Stars

[Brandon Rhea]

Lost Stars is one of the young adult novels in the "Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens" series. It's also the book from that series we know the most about summary-wise, so I'm creating a separate thread for it here. Here is the plot summary for the book, which I think is pretty cool:

Star Wars meets Romeo and Juliet in this epic YA novel that follows two best friends who find themselves on opposite sides of the war between the Empire and the Rebellion.

This thrilling YA novel gives readers a macro view of some of the most important events in the Star Wars universe: from the purge of the Jedi in Episode III, to the beginnings of the rebellion in Star Wars Rebels, and through the fall of the Empire in Episodes IV-VI. Readers will experience these major moments through the eyes of two best friends who grow up in these troubling times, and find themselves on opposite sides of the war.

As with other Journey to Episode VII titles, hints about the upcoming film will be included in the narrative, as well a original, post-Episode VI content that sets up the new film.

DUAL NARRATIVE: Chapters alternate perspectives between our two protagonists – one a Rebel pilot, the other an Imperial officer. By exploring these two different worlds, readers will experience many of the major moments in the original Star Wars trilogy – from the destruction of the Death Star to the battle of Hoth – through these two characters' eyes.

(Warning: what follows contains potential Episode VII spoilers.)

I first heard about this storyline from a friend about a month and a half ago. I thought it was a really cool concept. We'll get to see most of the saga from the perspective of other characters, and see what it's like to be swept up into these major galactic events, some of which were horrible times for the galaxy (like Order 66), that these characters have no control over. The idea of two normal people on two different sides of the Galactic Civil War is a neat concept too.

Rumor has it that one of the characters, probably the Rebel, is Max von Sydow's character. When we meet von Sydow's character in Episode VII, he's living in a scavenging village on the desert planet and knows Rey (Daisy Ridley). He is apparently someone who reflects what will happen to Rey if she stays on the desert planet and doesn't move on with her life, becoming someone who basically toils away in the dirt for the rest of their life. Given Sydow's age, I think this rumor is pretty credible, since he would've been alive for every event in the Star Wars film saga thus far.

What do you think of this summary? Do you like the way the book sounds so far?

 

[Green Ranger]

Bring back Galaxy of Fear. Those were some great novels.

lolololololololololololol

 

[Brandon Rhea]

New plot summary for this book:

The reign of the Galactic Empire has reached the Outer Rim planet of Jelucan, where aristocratic Thane Kyrell and rural villager Ciena Ree bond over their love of flying. Enrolling at the Imperial Academy together to become fighter pilots for the glorious Empire is nothing less than a dream come true for the both of them. But Thane sours on the dream when he sees firsthand the horrific tactics the Empire uses to maintain its ironclad rule.

Bitter and disillusioned, Thane joins the fledgling Rebellion — putting Ciena in an unbearable position to choose between her loyalty to the Empire and her love for the man she’s known since childhood.

Now on opposite sides of the war, will these friends turned foes find a way to be together, or will duty tear them — and the galaxy — apart?

I really dig the idea of this book and I'm looking forward to it. I like the fact that we're going to see the events of Episode III onward from the perspective of two entirely new characters, and we'll see how the war between the Empire and the Rebellion unfolds from both sides.

There's also a new cover for the book:

I heard a rumor at one point, from someone I know who is right about basically everything, and he suggested that the captain of the Star Destroyer that crashed on Jakku MIGHT be one of the characters in this novel. If that's true, then that Star Destroyer crashing towards what looks like a desert planet certainly seems to suggest it is.

 

[Green Ranger]

Neat cover.

 

[Srota]

Looking forward to this book. Lately the new canon books have been getting better and better, so here's hoping this trend will continue.

 

[Srota]

Surprisingly well written so far for a YA book, but granted I have not read YA fiction in years... I am listening to this book as I fly home from a convention, and find myself not wanting to put it down. More than Aftermath, this is the book I was drawn to first of the Force Friday books.

 

[Vulpes]

I don't recall ever reading/listening to any SW YA novels. Does this one contribute enough to the new lore to really justify picking it up? I'm reading Aftermath now, and it's meh so far. Will I get the same effect from just reading a summary for this one?

 

[Srota]

Honestly, this was the best book in the new Star Wars Canon so far, I certainly enjoyed it more than pretty much any other book in the Force Friday batch. Aftermath, while interesting, has been decidedly disappointing so far, and while i love Greg Rucka and Han Solo, the Smuggler's Run novel felt too short and condensed for me. As for the other two, while Weapon of A Jedi has been interesting, and a fun listen, it just didn't hold my interest the way Lost Stars has... maybe its my more sentimental side, but I really enjoyed this book, well, all but the last two chapters, which felt kinda premature.

 

[Srota]

Upon a review, I totally spaced on Dark Disciple... which certainly was a fantastic read... so I want to put that a bit higher than Lost Stars, if only for its ending...

 

[Outlander]

Ok, so I had Lost Stars lying around for a while and I just didn't have my in my to read through such a hefty book. But I finally started yesterday, and I couldn't put it down. I don't know if I like it more than Twilight Company, but I'll hesitantly say yes.

 

[Phil]

Loved this book. Tugged at my feels here and there, but I really enjoyed it.

 

[Reya Starlyght]

Out of the I think four novels, five adaptations, and three short stories I read, this one is by far the best, although Twilight Company and A New Dawn are close seconds and thirds. It's so good!

Spoiler because I can't do the tags:

Although honestly when that Star Destroyer crashed I felt that there was almost too many themes in it. The author should of just stuck with 'look through my eyes' and made the rest subtle.